


Long Road Down

by Thea_Lokidotter



Category: Hatfields & McCoys (TV 2012), Real Person Fiction
Genre: 19th Century, Brother-Sister Relationships, F/M, Feuds, Forbidden Love, Inspired by Real Events, Sisters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-20
Updated: 2015-02-20
Packaged: 2018-03-14 00:11:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3401273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thea_Lokidotter/pseuds/Thea_Lokidotter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alice McCoy is supposed to hate the Hatfields, her whole family does, but she can't bring herself to hate Cap Hatfield. In fact, she is drawn to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Favorite Brother

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in the accent that the main character has. Being from the Tug Fork region, it's Southern, or at least as close to it as my Northern ears could get. So I'm sorry if the unusually, phonetic spellings of some words are hard to read. Just a heads up! Enjoy :)

Election Day 1873:

“William Anderson Hatfield! You get back here!” The yell came from a young woman holding a baby. The boy she had directed her call at was standing right in front of me. He was blonde and tall and turned confusedly to her.  
“But I was just...” He trailed off as the woman took a-hold a’ his hand. My brother Jim rounded the corner of the wagon just as the woman walk off, boy in tow, and laid his hand on my shoulder. Jim was my oldest brother, he was twenty-two and notin' scared him.  
“What was that about, Alice?” Jim said in a tone I couldn’t quite place but wadn’t fond of.  
“I dunno,” I responded, looking ‘or my shoulder to find the blonde boy standing with another boy who looked like his older brother and a smaller boy with towheaded curls.  
“I do,” said Tolbert, another one of my older brothers, pulling hisself up to set on the side of the wagon. He was nineteen, big and strong, with an ornery disposition, not that I knew what that meant, mine being only nine and such, but it's what Ma always said.  
“Oh, do you now?” Jim asked irritably.  
“Yep,” Tolbert inclined his head in the direction of the younger boys. “Don’t say you don’t recognize that little blondie.”  
“I’ll be damned,” Jim said after a pause, taking his hand off my shoulder and placed it on his forehead. “That Devil Anse’s sons, ain’t they?”  
Tolbert nodded and jumped off the wagon. He turned to me all serious like.  
“What that lil' shit want?” He demanded a' me.  
“Notin’,” I answered, well and fully confused. “Just, he wanted to play. He says that his big brother was too high and mighty now to play with him and his little brother was too small.”  
“William Anderson Hatfield the second asked my lil' sister to play with ‘im?” The thought seemed to both amuse and enrage Tolbert.  
“Alice,” Jim turned to me, shooting an irritated glance at Tolbert. “We’ve told you a million times, don’t talk to Hatfields, aight?”  
“Ok, Jim. But why?” My little nine year old brain couldn’t wrap isself around the idea.  
“Cause Hatfields ain’t nothin’ but stupid, murderin’ sonsabitches,” Tolbert informed me before staking off to go find Floyd and Sam.

Later that night, after supper, Calvin and I were settin' on the porch and I asked him what a ‘sonsabitches’ was. He stared at me at first then burst into laughter.  
“Calvin, come on,” I punched his arm but it only made him laugh harder. He finally stopped laughing long enough to tell me that a sonofabitch was a mean, bad person and that I shouldn’t repeat what Tolbert said because it would most like git me in trouble.  
Calvin was my favorite brother. He was only two years older then me, making him eleven, which, in turn, made him an all-knowing genus. He had the same dark brown hair that I has. His eyes ‘re blue like mine too, the same light blue that made people stare at us. He said that because we were the only of our siblings who had blue eyes, we could tell each other everything but we had to promise not to tell the other's secrets to anyone else.  
“Not even other blue-eyed people?” I had asked his once, with a quilt pulled over our heads, the light from the moon coming in through the window above my bed.  
“Nope, not even them,” He had answered with a grin.  
Calvin and I, as inseparable as them come, sat on the porch almost every night after supper. Most of the other children would do the same. Josephine, Jim and Floyd didn’t live with us anymore on accounts they had all gotten married and move out. Lilburn also didn’t live in the cabin anymore because he had died when he was only two months old. He had been born before me so I ne'r knew him. So that left twelve of us children living in the house. Tolbert, Sam, Alifair, Roseanna, Calvin, Pharmer, Bud, Bill, Trinny, Adelaide, two-month-old Franny and me.  
That night, of the fourteen who lived in the house (including Ma and Pappie) only Calvin and I were on the porch. There was a lantern glowing over the doorway and, by its light, I could see the scar on Calvin’s forehead, right above his right eye, shinnin’ as I looked up at his face. I reached up and ran my small fingers over it. He flinched away.  
“Oh, sorry. Does it still hurt?” I asked. Calvin looked down at his boots and shook his head. He mumbled something about it being late and stood up, causing my head, which had been resting on his lap, to fall and hit the boards.  
“Sorry Alice,” he said as he offered me his hand. Ignoring it, I stood and brushed my dress off. I tried to be annoyed with him but I couldn’t. The memory of that scar was still too fresh. So I instead I took his hand and let him lead me inside the cabin.  
He walked me to my room and said goodnight before to going into the room he now shared with Pharmer, Bud and Bill. I still hadn’t gotten used to the new sleepin' arrangement and sometimes got confused about it, even though it had been like this for or' a year. I shared this new room with Roseanna, my sister a' fourteen and Alifair, my sister a' fifteen.  
When I entered my room, I found Roseanna already there. Alifair was nowhere to be found, someum for which I was thankful. I still hadn’t forgiv'n her.  
“Hey there, baby girl,” Roseanna looked up smilin’. She had her blonde hair in a twist and looked purty as ever.  
“Hi, Roseanna. Can I ask you something?” I walked or' to her bed and sat down next to her.  
“Sure thang. What’s’a matter?” She smoothed down my hair as she spoke.  
“Why do we hate the Hatfields?” I blurted out.  
“Oh, well I suppose that’s on a count a it was Hatfields what killed Uncle Harman.”  
“But that was a long time ago,” I mumbled. In truth, it had been thirteen years earlier but that seemed like a long time to me.  
“I know, Hun,” Roseanna said. “But it’s just the way things are. It’s one of the always-truths of these mountains.” She grinned at me. “Do you remember what the always-truths are?”  
I strained to remember.  
“There’s witches in the woods, Painter Cats in the mountains and Hatfields and McCoys will always hate each other.”  
Roseanna clapped her hands together and laughed.  
“Very good Alice,” She hugged me tight.

That night I dreamed about when Pappie had belted Calvin. It was in the middle of the night and the oil in the lamp above the door was almost all out, only everyone was up, ‘xactly as it was the first time. Calvin was lyin’ in the dirt in front of the house and Pappie was looming over him, raising the whip ‘bove his head, only this time it weren’t Pappie. It was a man I just barely recognized as Devil Anse Hatfield and he was grinnin’. Only, I knew that Devil Anse hadn’t been the one who beat Calvin half to the grave, it had been Pappie. So when I woke that next morning, I was mad. At Pappie and at Alifair and I wouldn’t acknowledge either one.

Ever since I was born, Calvin had been my favorite. I hung on him all day. Following him ‘round and such. And, ever since I was old enough to not have to sleep with Ma, Calvin and I would share a bed. We were really little and that was ok. But when I was eight and Calvin was ten, Pappie told Calvin that he couldn’t sleep in the girl’s room anymore. Calvin fought him on it but lost when Ma said she agreed. He relented and that Christmas, he gave me a doll. He said that the doll would replace him at night. I told him that it was just a doll and couldn’t do that but he insisted.  
Near on a year went by without any problems. But then, one night four months ago, I had this terrible nightmare. I woke in a cold sweat. I should have woken up Roseanna or Alifair, as they shared the room with me but I didn’t want either of them. I know that only Calvin could make me feel safe so I stole into the room he shared with Pharmer and Bud. When I woke him, he said that he couldn’t but I insisted and he finally agreed. We crept back into my room and he climbed into my bed. I crawled in after him and curled up next to his chest. Even through his nightclothes, I could smell his skin and it made me calm. He wrapped his arm around me and I fell asleep, the nightmare all but forgotten.  
That night, it had turned out, Pappie had been out late. He had been drinking and came home very drunk. Around the same time he got home, Alifair had to go to the bathroom. She got up to go the outhouse and was passin' my bed when she must have heard Calvin sigh in his sleep or a cloud passed beyond the moon and lit the room. Either way, she shrieked. I bolded upright as did Calvin and Roseanna. Doors where slammin’ and feet were runnin’ elsewhere in the house. Then the door flew open and there stood Ma and everyone but Pa, who was asleep still.  
“Oh, it’s only Calvin,” Roseanna said. The others looked irritated for being woke up but mumbled their agreement with her. Ma even didn’t seem to care. Only Alifair did. She went downstairs and woke Pappie. Ma was telling everyone to go back to bed when Pappie stormed into my room. He was mad and drunk, two things that made ma Pappie terrifying. He grabbed Calvin by the front of his shirt, pulled him out of bed and dragged 'im down the stairs, all the while shouting at him about disobeying his father. He kicked the door open and with one hand literally threw Calvin out and onto the ground and with t’other, he grabbed a horsewhip that hung by the door. Pappie stomped to where Calvin was standing up and yanked him by the hair, tossing him to the ground again. He brought the whip up ‘or his head and down onto my brother over and over, each crack louder then the last. Ma and I and my other siblings were crowded on the porch. Ma was yelling at Pappie to stop. Pappie was shouting at Calvin and Calvin was crying. Then suddenly, he weren’t no more.  
Pa had brought the whip down hard across his forehead, blood was gushing from a cut and Calvin lay still. Ma screamed and ran forward. She wrestled the whip from Pappie’s hand and smacked 'is face. Pappie slumped back into the house; leaving Calvin bleeding on the ground, Ma standing there, whip in hand and the rest of us staring in silence. It had been Tolbert of all people who when to Calvin, me on his heels.  
Obviously, Calvin survived. Pappie had never belted anyone other before then nor anyone since. The beating had strained Ma and Pappie’s relationship and made Calvin even quieter then before. But he was still my favorite brother and would always be my favorite brother.


	2. Missing pig

Spring, 1876:

“Who’s that extra plate there fer?” I asked Alifair as she set the table for supper.  
“Pappie’s cousin, that lawyer. Perry Cline,” Alifair barely looked up from her dishes. I scowled and crossed my arms to show my displeasure at that. I didn’t like Perry Cline.  
I wondered over to where Ma had the food on. I was about to dip a finger in the stew when Alifair caught my hand.  
“Don’t you dare,” she said in a low, anger whisper.  
“Why not?” I demanded of her.  
“Because the kitchen is my place, yourns,” she garbed my upper arm and hauled me to the open door. “is outside.”  
I was about to say something that I had heard Tolbert say two days earlier when I noticed that Pappie, Mr. Cline and Roseanna where on the porch as well.  
“Hullo, Mr. Cline,” I said quietly, staring at my boots. “How are you tuday?”  
“Just fine, Alice. Just fine,” he smiled his creepy smile and turned back to Pappie.  
“I’m sorry bout your land coz," Pappie said. "Still, we cannot let our paths be diverted by the treachery of others. Trust in the lord and do good and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” I sat down on the porch and watched the woods for any sign of my brothers’ return. A pig had gone missing a few days ago and Pappie had sent them out looking for it.  
“Done,” Roseanna said from behind me. She had been cutting Pappie’s hair and was now finished. She showed him it in a mirror.  
“Fine job, Roseanna. Here,” He took something small out of him pocket and placed it in her hand. I leaned up to looked at what it was and saw a flash of somethang gold. “I’ve been meanin' to give you this.”  
“A golden button?” she sounded so excited.  
“It’s from the war. Cos you’re my favorite,” He smiled warmly at her. She kissed his check and went inside the cabin. I huffed and crossed my arms, frownin'. But then the sound of boots drew my attention. Jim and Tolbert walked up the few steps to the porch.  
“Can’t find ‘er, Pa,” Jim said.  
“Consarn it. Keep lookin',” Pappie muttered.  
“It’s one little pig,” Jim said, looking at his feet. "Mountain lion prob'ly got 'er," I chimed in. I couldn't keep maself from pipin' up. Pappie frowned. “That pig fattened up feeds this family for a whole winter,” Pappie said to both of us. “You understand that? Try again tomorra.” Jim nodded and went in the house with Tolbert. Calvin came out of the house to fetch me. He touched my shoulder to git my ‘ttention and nodded to the doorway, silently asking me if I wanted to go inside. I stood and wander in after him.


	3. Logging Accident

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is written in another character's pov.

Summer, 1878:

Johnse, Devil Anse and Jim Vance were at Anse’s logging enterprise. Johnse listened to his Pa and Uncle Jim talk about his Pa’s plans. The idea made him laugh.  
“I always knew we’s gonna be rich,” Johnse laughed, grinning. Suddenly, a call wiped that grin right off his face.  
“Anse! It’s your boy, William. Tree fell, splint caught his eye,” Bill Staton shouted. Johnse’s heart sank. His little brother...   
ohnse and Devil Anse turned and ran up the hill to where William lay. The sight of him turned Johnse’s stomach. Half his little brother’s face was covered in blood; he had his hand placed firmly over his left eye.  
“My eye! Why can’t I see?” William yelled. “Pa, why can’t I see?” Devil Anse knelt at his younger son’s side.  
“I know it hurts bad son,” he said to his second son. “I admire how you standin' up to it.” He turned to someone next to him. “Give me some water.”  
He got a handkerchief wet with the water from a flask and placed it to William’s wounded eye. William raised 'is hand to Johnse.  
“Johnse, why can’t I see?” he sounded anguished.  
“We gunna get you to a doctor straight away. You not gunna die, but I ain’t gunna lie to you, this here’s a serious wound.”  
William’s unblooded eye rolled in his head and his breath went out of him in a huff. He fell limp in Devil Anse’s arms and he passed out. Devil Anse pulled him up in his arms and ran to his horse.  
“Johnse, ride to the house, tell your Ma what happened,” Anse yelled to his oldest son.  
Johnse nodded and jumped on his horse. He turned in the direction of the house. He kicked his horse into a run. Lookin' behind him, he saw his Pa with William lyin’ on the front of his saddle.  
As Johnse came up on the cabin he lived in with his Pa, Ma and six siblings, he started to shout.  
“Ma!” he screamed. “Ma!” Levicy Hatfield came to the porch and, takin' one look at her oldest child with blood all down the front of his shirt and immediately demanded to know what had happened.  
“It’s William. He’s been hurt real bad,” Johnse’s voice faltered when he turn to look at his Pa coming over a hill with his younger brother, still unconscious.  
“Oh, my lord,” Levicy’s eyes grew wide. She ran forward and took her son off his father’s horse. Devil Anse dismounted and took William, makin' to carry him inside.  
“Johnse, go fetch a doctor. Now!” he yelled.

William Anderson Hatfield Jr. would be bed-ridden for a month.


	4. Falling

July 1878:

I was bored. So very bored. I sat staring out the kitchen window, Ma was kneading bread. Roseanna had disappeared to somewheres and the boys were out hunting. The only person left to talk to was Alifair and she was too stuck-up for her own good.  
I stood and exited the cabin, in search of Calvin or if not him then something fun to do. What I found was a very tall tree. It was just standing there, practically shoutin' at me “climb me!”.

So I did.

Pappie was always tellin’ me that girls shouldn’t climb trees. It ain’t ladylike and someday I would fall and kill meself. A’course, I paid this no nevermind. And up I went.  
I was ‘bout half way up the tree when the first snap sounded. It made me freeze in place. I slowly shifted my weight and another snap went through the tree. The branch I was standing on was breaking. I stood stock-still, my mind runnin’ at a million miles a’our.  
I decided to try to get off this branch and out of the tree without falling to my death like Pappie had said. I spotted the branch I’d shoot fer and practically jumped to it. I landed with all the grace of one of Pappie’s wild hogs. But I was all right.  
That is, until I began to descend. I was in such a rush to git off this tree that I miss-placed ma foot and felt it slip out from under me. My only thought as I fell was ‘dear God, Pappie is gonna kill me...’

I awoke in my bed with Calvin’s worried face loomin' or' me.  
“Cal,” My voice trailed off.  
“Hey, Alice,” he smoothed my hair down, his calluses rough on my forehead. “You took a mighty nasty fall.”  
I tried to set up but he gently held me down with a hand on my shoulder. It was only then that I realized there was pain shooting through my arm. Turning my head, I saw that my enter right arm was wound in cotton bandages.  
“What happened to me?” I questioned Calvin.  
“When you fell, your shoulder caught on something, it tore a mighty gash in the skin. The doc says you’ll be fine, but that you shouldn’t do nothing with that arm till it’s healed like.”  
Nothing with my right arm? The made me smile.  
“Why you smiling for?” Calvin laughed. I gave him a grin that turned a half grimace from the pain.  
“No chores. I don’t gotta do shit for the harvest.” Calvin laughed out loud fer that one.  
“What’s so funny?” The sound of Pharmer’s voice startled me. I hadn’t realized there were others in the room too.  
“Nothin’” Calvin replied with a wink to me. Pharmer came to the other side of my bed and inspected my wounded arm. He took the toothpick from his mouth and pointed at the lame arm with it.  
“Way I hear tell,” He said gazing over his shoulder as if to make sure no one but me and Calvin would hear him. “You’re in good comp’ny, sis.”  
“How’s that then?” I asked, confused.  
“You’ll ‘member Devil Anse’s second son, William.” I nodded, remembering the blonde boy who that wanted to play that Election Day a few years ago.  
“He done got his eye blowed out in some loggin’ accident,” Pharmer said matter o’factly.  
“It’s like you’re meant to be together,” Calvin joked. I feebly made to punch his arm but weren’t strong enough.  
“That ain’t funny, Calvin,” I muttered. “You shouldn’t be jokin’ bout marryin' Hatfields. Pappie’ll have your damned head.” Both boys started laughin’.


	5. Hog Thiefin'

October, 1878:

Because of my arm, all I could do while the rest of my family worked takin' in the crops was set in the wagon and watch the little 'uns. So that’s what I was doing when Pappie stopped to talk with one of our neighbors, a man named Floyd Hatfield. I didn’t pay this much mind until Pappie grabbed his sickle and started a-wavin’ it in Floyd’s face.  
“Damn you for pig thief, Floyd Hatfield,” Pappie yelled at him. At that, Floyd hurried on down the road, Pappie shouting after him “I guess all you Hatfield’s ar’ the same!” Rarely had I seen Pappie like this befer.  
That night, Perry Cline came to supper. When the meal was over, Ma stood and said “Roseanna, help me clear the table. Alifair, the little ones.” Alifair looked at me irritatedly.  
“Why don’t Alice got to do nothin'?” she demanded as she stood.  
“Cause she’s hurt. Or are you blind,” Calvin shot back at her.  
“She’s been hurt for months,” Alifair started to complain but a look from Ma was enough to silence her. Then Perry Cline started in on Pappie.  
“This matter of Floyd Hatfield and the theft of your livestock...”  
“He lied and denied it to my face,” Pappie said, starin' at the glass in his hand.  
“We sue,” Perry Cline suggested, not for the first time that night. When he could see that Pappie weren’t takin' to it, he tried a different tact. “It’s useful to think of the law as a muscle and like a muscle it can be strengthened with proper use. If used too little it becomes feeble and too weak to protect you.”  
All throughout this little speech, he keep glancing towards my sister, Roseanna. I already didn’t like the man but this made me hate him.  
“Well that’s fine talk, Perry,” Pappie didn’t seem to notice the looks he kept giving Roseanna. “You got the gift. But Floyd Hatfield live on the other side of the river.” Ma came over to take away dishes and added “Hatfield sets as judge.” She was referring to Wall Hatfield, the judge in these parts. Perry Cline seemed to consider this for a moment before he came up with a solution.  
“I can arrange a jury trial. Sit six McCoys and six Hatfields.” He stood as he said this and came and sat next to me on the bench. I scooted closer to Calvin. I didn’t like being so close to that Perry Cline. I leaned up and whispered in Calvin’s ear “What if his creepy-ness is contagious?” Calvin’s hand shot to his mouth as he tried unsuccessfully to conceal a snicker.  
Perry Cline continued, unbeknownst to the joke made 'bout him. “Now, it won’t get you justice for your poor murdered brother, but we win this case, it’s a kinda justice none-the-less.”  
“Strikes me as foolish,” Ma said. Perry Cline rolled his eyes and sighed.  
“How’s that now?” He asked.  
“Going to court over a pig? It makes us look like some village idiot,” Ma crossed her arms. But Perry Cline, it seemed, had won Pappie over.  
“Sally,” was all Pappie need say and Ma turned ‘way from the table. Pappie then turned back to his glass.  
“I s’ppose in the end, God punishes all transgression,” Pappie muttered.  
“But, as you very well know, often times the good lord expects us to be the instruments of His will.” When Perry Cline said this, I knew he had won.  
“What say you, Jim?” Pappie asked, turning to my oldest brother. Jim considered for a moment before:  
“I say we sue.”  
And sue we did.


	6. A Trial and a New Name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! Multiple povs!!

November, 1887:

William sat at the very back of the courthouse next to Uncle Jim, on the side that the Hatfields had claimed. He still had to wear the damned bandage around his head. Thinkin' of it only made him mad. He crossed his arms and slouched in his seat.  
“How’s the eye been?” Uncle Jim asked, turnin' to William. William sighed, annoyed ‘bout being asked ‘bout the eye.  
“It’s gone milky,” he answered. “Capped over.”  
“Un-huh,” Jim paused for a moment before he reached out and tried to move the bandage.  
“Let me see,” he said. William grabbed on to the bandage and tried to push Jim’s hand away.  
“No, Jim,” he said firmly.  
“Come on! Let me see,” Jim kept pulling at it. By now, Robert E. Lee, William’s younger brother by three years, had turned in his seat where he sat a row up from William and Jim.  
“Jim!” William practically yelled as Uncle Jim got his fingers under the bandage and began to pull in up so as his wounded eye would be visible.  
“Let me see it!” Jim persisted. William craned his neck as Uncle Jim got the bandage off. His blind eye flickered open, letting Jim get his look. Then, William gabbed the bandage and pulled it back over his eye and, noticing his little brother for the first time, he pushed Rob’s head.  
“Turn around,” he hissed at Rob. He crossed his arms and scooted even farther down in his seat, sulking.  
Then the door open and William glanced up at the sound of footfalls. He looked up just in time to see the purtiest girl he’d e’er seen walk in the court. She looked ‘bout his age, with dark brown curls framin’ her face. She had the sides pulled back in a twist with a small blue flower tied in. The blue of the flower matched the colour a' her eyes perfect. It was only after noticing all this that he saw that her arm was in a sling.  
William straightened in his seat. The girl nudged the blonde McCoy girl, telling her to move o’er and then she set right on the end of the row a benches right ‘cross the aisle from where he sat. She looked up and their eyes met for a second before the blonde girl next to her leaned over and said something to the dark haired girl. She looked away but William could still feel the beatin' of his heart in his chest like an ax.  
He was so distracted by her that he almost missed his second christening. Uncle Jim nudged him with his arm.  
“Oh, sorry... What were you sayin'?” William reluctantly turned back to his uncle.  
“I said, I’m gunna call you Cap. Cap for Captain, like your daddy,” Jim repeated. William paused, thinking.  
“Shows you’re important feller,” Uncle Jim went on. William considered it. Cap Hatfield. It did have a nice ring ter it.  
“Good name, Cap,” his uncle said. William nodded.  
“Yea, I like it,” he said.  
“Also, those is McCoy girls,” Uncle Jim nodded to the purty girl with dark curls and the blonde one next to ‘er. “You best not even look.”

***

I could feel the boy’s solo dark eye boring into me as I sat talkin' quietly with Roseanna. He had a bandage wrapped around his head, covering the t'other eye but I didn’t need to see it to know that it was white and milky. That boy was William Hatfield.  
My mind flipped back to when Calvin had made a joke about me and William Hatfield being meant for each other. It had seemed ridicules then but now that I was sitting not three feet from him...  
‘He is cute,’ I thought. ‘Even with the eye.’ I shook my head slightly, trying to clear the thought from my head.  
‘I’m a McCoy. I hate Hatfields,’ I tried to remind myself.  
It didn’t work.

My thoughts were interrupted by the door at the front of the room opening and Wall Hatfield steppin' out. Ma had been right, he was the judge presiding over the case of Pappie and his lost pig.  
“Hi, Uncle Wall.” The voice was overly loud. It came from the mouth of a boy what looked my age. He was ghostly white with silver hair. At the boy's call, the room erupted into laugher. I sat still, thinkin' that it wasn’t really all that funny. The boy was Ellison Hatfield’s bastard son, Cotton Top. He was slow in the head and albino.  
Wall banged his walking stick on the desk as he took his seat.  
“Court is in section,” He said. “Thanks to those of ya on the jury for coming here today and agreeing to serve. I know most of ya got crops that need a-tendin’ so I ain’t gunna keep ya from yer task any longer then necessary.” He then pointed to Perry Cline where he sat next to Pappie. Perry Cline stood.  
“Judge Hatfield, members of the jury. It is useful to think of the law as a muscle.”  
I groaned. I saw Judge Hatfield place his hand 'or his eyes and knew that this weren’t goin’ go so well.  
“And like a muscle,” Perry continued. “it can be strengthened with proper use.”  
“Mr. Cline,” Wall Hatfield interrupted. “The briefer you make your remarks, the better your case gonna be received.” Laughter broke out. A giggle escaped my lips too. I decided that I liked Judge Wall Hatfield.  
“Do you mean to call any to call witnesses?”  
Perry Cline gestured to Pappie.  
“Mr. McCoy and his wife, Sally, both saw the hog in question.” Perry started.  
“I don’t think we need to call 'um to the stand just to say so,” Wall Hatfield interrupted him again. “So to put it plain, the McCoy’s say it is their pig and Floyd says that ain’t so. Is that clear?” He waited for the jury on both sides of the room to nod. He then turned to Floyd Hatfield.  
“Is the pig in court today?”  
Floyd looked nervously at his wife who shrugged.  
“Uh... No it ain’t,” He said. Wall Hatfield sighed.  
“Why not?”  
“Well,” Floyd looked at his wife again. “It’s done been ate.” The room near shook at the power of the laughter that exploded at this remark.  
“Alright, Floyd,” the judge said, shaking his head. “You got any witnesses what saw it before you butchered the swine?” Floyd looked concerned.  
“I didn’t know I needed one, If you give me a couple ‘ours, I mights be able to find someones.” There was a movement on the Hatfield side of the court and a small, dark haired man stood, holding a whiskey bottle.  
“I seen it, the hog in question that is,” Bill Staton said, his voice thick with ‘shine. “I actually seen Floyd cut that shore G.” He paused.  
“Do I need to say I seen it on the Bible?” More laughter.  
“I’d advise you not to,” Judge Hatfield said with a grin.  
“That pig had black spots on its hams as I recollect and Floyd slipped and cut his thumb up. Now if that ain’t Floyd’s hog, well that don’t make no sense.”  
“That’s enough, Bill,” Wall Hatfield said, gesturing for Bill to set. “I trust you’ll give Bill Staton’s testimony the respect it deserves.”  
“Well, I ain’t quite done. You see,” Bill started again.  
“You sit down,” Judge Hatfield shouted. Near everyone in the court, at least everyone on the Hatfield side, was laughin'. Looking over, I saw William Hatfield laughing along with the rest, his good eye swinging in my discretion every now and then. I felt my cheeks go hot and placed my hands on them, hoping no one would notice.  
By then it seemed that all that would be said in the matter of the hog, had been said. So Judge Hatfield banged his walking stick on the desk for silence.  
“Members of the jury,” he said. “Who thinks the hog belonged to Floyd Hatfield?” Every jury member on the Hatfield side raised their hand.  
“Aright, and who thinks it belonged to Randell McCoy?” Then every person on the McCoy side but Selkirk McCoy raised their hand. He just set there with a look on his face like he was thinkin’ real hard.  
“Selkirk McCoy? You didn’t vote one way or t’other,” Judge Hatfield pointed out, turning full in his seat to face Selkirk.  
“He votes for uncle Randell,” my cousin Paris said. Paris was one of the others on the McCoy side of the jury. Sam, called Squirrel-huntin’ Sam McCoy, another of the McCoy jurors, reached over and slapped Selkirk on the chest.  
“He has to be the one to say so, Paris,” Wall Hatfield said, annoyed. By then, all eyes were turned to Selkirk.  
“Well,” he said, rubbin' his hand over his chin like men do sometimes. “I’m trying to do the right thing here and I am of the McCoy family but...” Even from the back of the courthouse, I could see the veins in Pappie’s forehead throbbing.  
“I do believe,” Selkirk continued. “that pig was one of Floyd Hatfield’s razorbacks.” The court erupted in voices. Roseanna looked horrified and I could see out of the corner of my eye that William Hatfield, across the aisle was smilin' and laughin' with crazy Jim Vance. The sound of his laughter made me smile. It was real cute.  
“You do not deserve the name McCoy,” Paris roared at Selkirk. In his defiance, Selkirk pointed to Bill Staton.  
“Bill Staton swears on his oath that he seen Floyd cut that notch.” At that Pappie stood and the volume in the room lowered. Everyone wanted to hear what he would say to his own kin what took that side a' the Hatfields. I knew already though, that when Pappie opened his mouth, things would only get worst. And sho ‘nough, they did.  
“You are a lyin’ spawn a Hell! What voted on your Hatfield wife’s apron strings!” Pappie roared.  
“Oh, Randell,” Devil Anse said, standing to face Pappie. “just leave her on out of this. You gunna give yourself apoplexy, all this over a pig.”  
Pappie looked fit to burst as he slowly rotated to stare Devil Anse in the eye. Ma tried to hold him back by the arm but he paid her no mind.  
“This is about honour, about lyin’ and stealin’ and murderin’!” At that, all hell broke lose. Judge Wall Hatfield banged his walking stick on the desk again and bellowed, “That’s not pertinent to the case.”  
But no one paid him no mind. It seemed like everyone was standin’ and pullin’ their guns out. Roseanna and I both stood, if fo’ no other reason then to be able to see what was happen’ng at the front of the court. I couldn’t help but notice that William Hatfield was inches away from me. If I had reached out, I could have grabbed his hand. I felt the flush creep up my cheeks again and hoped he wouldn’t notice. Over the din, Pappie was a-shoutin’ at Devil Anse.  
“This is about sin, Devil Anse. What’s christian-right and damn-nation wrong!” My little brother Bill and Devil Anse’s third boy, Robert started a fight what had ‘em rolling ‘round on the floor, smackin’ at each other. In the fighting, Devil Anse had managed to get to the back, pushin’ past me and he started reachin’ fo’ his third son.  
“This case is dismissed,” Judge Hatfield shouted, waving his walking stick in the air. “Everybody get the hell out of here!” Again, no one cared to listen to ‘im.

BANG BANG BANG

I, along with every other person in the room, jumped at the sound of Judge Hatfield’s gun going off. The sudden silence was deafenin'. In the still, Devil Anse managed to pull Robert off Bill and Calvin got his arm ‘round Bill and pull ‘im to his feet.  
“By God, I will gut-shoot the next agitator what further disrespects ma Courtroom, Hatfield or McCoy,” Judge Hatfield said, pointing his handgun at one side of the room then t’other. I believed him too. He looked mad enough to kill us all. But Pappie was purty damned mad hisself.  
“I recken this is what I should have expected out of a Hatfield court,” Pappie spat. Judge Hatfield trained his gun at Pappie.  
“One more word out of you, McCoy and I’ll hold you in contempt.” Pappie snorted and turned, makin’ for the door.  
Devil Anse was standing there with one arm around Robert and t’other on William’s shoulder, tellin’ his older son to put the pistol in his hand away.  
“Best watch your hide, Preacher McCoy,” he said as Pappie passed him.  
“Here’s scripture for you,” Pappie said turning to Devil Anse. “Blood touchith blood.”  
And with that, Pappie kicked the door open. The rest of us trailed after him. On my way out, I caught William Hatfield’s eye and smiled. He smiled right back, stowing his gun in his jacket pocket.


	7. Shootin' Drunks

September, 1879:

“Alice, come ‘ere,” Calvin was standing by the door. Tolbert and Jim were outside already with Pappie and Perry Cline. Roseanna and Adelade followed me down the stairs.  
“What’s happened, Calvin?” Roseanna asked, eyeing the rifle in his hands.  
“You know how Paris and Sam killed Bill Staton a few weeks ago?” Calvin asked. I nodded, stepping off the stairs and walking over to where he stood.  
“Well, them Hatfields found ‘em and brought ‘em to Matewan.”  
Roseanna’s hand flew to her mouth.  
“Are they gonna hang?” she asked. Calvin took his hat off the wall and placed it on his head.  
“That’s what we’re hopin’ to avoid.” Calvin then turned to me. “If you wanna, you can come. I asked Pappie and he said that as long as you stay out of trouble, it would be fine.” I smiled.  
“'Course I’ll come.”

***

All eyes turned when we rode into Matewan. I was on the back of Calvin’s white horse and it felt strange being here. This was Hatfield territory after all. As we stopped in front of the jail, we saw that there was already people there. I recognized Crazy Jim Vance, Devil Anse’s brother Ellison and Devil Anse’s son, William Hatfield. Though everyone called him Cap now.  
Even now that he had removed the bandage and his milky eye was visible, I still thought he was mighty fine to look at. The boys called Cap “Fog-Eye” but I thought it only added to his looks. And I also thought his new nickname, Cap, suited him just fine. I liked it.  
He was leaning on the railing of the jailhouse, joking with his uncle Jim. He wore a dark coat and a dark hat with a brown band ‘round it. I could see the outline of a pistol in his pocket and he had a rifle in his hands.  
“It’s a fine day for a hangin’ ain’t it, ol’Randell?” Jim Vance said, standing up and spitting a wad of tobacco on the ground. My brother, Tolbert, jumped down from the wagon where he’d ridden over from Kentucky.  
“Mean Jim Vance? Well you ain’t all that much, up close-like,” He said it with a fake smile plastered on his face. I could scene that my brother was lookin’ for trouble.  
“Well, who the hell 'er you?” Crazy Jim stood, his face inches from Tolbert’s.  
“Oh, I’m Tolbert McCoy, son of Randell,” He said. Jim Vance nodded. “See, I always wanted to meet the man what murdered my uncle and tell him 'is days were comin’.”  
Tolbert had done it. There was gonna be trouble now, fer suor  
“Not from the likes of you, they ain’t,” Jim Vance sneered at Tolbert. “Ya wet-eared, prick-chafin’ little shi-it. Now get out of my sight before I break you like a chicken neck.” Tolbert opened his mouth to reply but Pappie stopped him.  
“Tolbert, we’re here on other business.” Tolbert looked back to Jim Vance who spat a ‘nother wad of tobacco at Tolbert’s feet. Tolbert stormed off towards the bar. Pappie then looked over his shoulder.  
“Calvin, you watch your sister.” He then walked inside the jailhouse with Perry Cline.  
“Yes, sir.”  
As Tolbert stormed away, Cap Hatfield grinned at his uncle who laughed. My brothers gave them disdainful glares but I thought it was kinda funny too. Tolbert was always trying to act all tough but he was still a-feared a Pappie. And besides, Cap was real hot when he smiled.  
The next ten minuets were incredible uncomfortable. I sat in the wagon with my brothers Calvin and Jim, while Crazy Jim and the other Hatfields made jokes. After the first five minuets, however, they got quiet. This was taking way too long. No one knew what was happenin' inside but no one wanted to interrupt. Every now and then, someone from inside the jailhouse was shout, although we couldn’t make out what was being said.  
Then the doors opened. Paris came runnin' out followed closely by Sam. At the sight of Paris, his best friend, Calvin jumped down from the wagon.  
“Paris!” he shouted as he hugged him.  
“Calvin,” came the reply from Paris. “Not guilty.” There were many smiles and hugs from one McCoy to ‘nother.  
“I knew your daddy’d get us out a this,” Sam shouted. Pappie and Perry Cline exited the jailhouse and Calvin hugged Perry Cline while thankin' him over and over for saving his friends from getting hanged. The looks on the Hatfields’ faces were ones of disbelief. Crazy Jim Vance shouted some extremely rude things and shook his head. Cap sat leaning on the railing, holdin’ his rifle ‘cross his lap. He looked between the celebrations and his uncle, Ellison.  
“Unbelievable,” he announced, voicin’ the thought running threw e’eryone’s head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Matewan is a town on the West Virginia side of the Tug Fork.


	8. Montagues and Capulets of the Cumberlands

August 1880, West Virginia Election Day:

As with every Election Day, the entire family was up and ready to go early. The boys had loaded the Applejack into a wagon and the little ones into a’nother. All us girls were in our best dresses with our hair done up. I was wearing a blue dress that matched my eyes and had my hair the way I had worn in on the day of the trial ‘bout the pig, and my arm was out of it's sling finally. Even though this was West Virginia’s Election and neither Pappie nor any a my brothers could vote, we still went. It was a chance to get away from chores, to have a good time and a good chance from my brothers to sell a lot a their ‘shine.  
When we got there, Tolbert set up his ‘shine and started sellin’. Roseanna grabbed ma arm and the two of us started to walk 'round, admirin’ all the things that were fer sale. ‘Fore long, we caught sight of our cousin, Nancy. She smiled and waved us over.  
As we were walking over to her though, Calvin came up behind me and picked me up.  
“Calvin!!” I shouted at him. When he set me down, he took of runnin’. I gave chase, yellin' over my shoulder my apologizes to Roseanna who laughed and told me to git ‘im. I chased him ‘or to where Tolbert was selling 'is Applejack.  
“Got you,” I shouted as I grabbed him ‘round the waist and hung on till he surrenders. We were both completely out of breath and laughing, Pharmer, who was with Tolbert and Bud, laughed too.  
“Look ‘or there,” Tolbert said under his breath to us. He nodded off to his right. I looked and saw Ellison Hatfield, Devil Anse’s younger brother and Ellison's bastard son who was also named Ellison but most everyone called Cotton Top. My brothers, however, mostly just called him Mush Head. The boy was slow in the head.  
Ellison Hatfield was about to a trick with gunpowder and an anvil and he had all the gunpowder out. Cotton Top picked up the anvil and set it down hard on the gunpowder.  
“Whoa, there son, we don’t want it goin’ off just yet,” I heard Ellison say. Bud and Pharmer laughed and Tolbert whispered, “Watch this.”  
“Yea, Mush Head,” Tolbert shouted at Cotton Top. “Don’t blow us all up, ya half-wit, bastard moron.” The boys all cracked up. Ellison Hatfield, however, didn’t laugh. He walked over to where the boys were and grabbed Tolbert by the front a his shirt.  
“Come here!” He shouted at him, pulling his towards where Cotton Top stood with his head hung. “Come here! Find that funny? Apologize.” He stood in front of Cotton with a fist full of Tolbert’s shirt. Tolbert was still laughing.  
“Yea, I’m real sorry you’s a bastard, Cotton,” Tolbert said, making hisself and the other boys laugh even harder. Ellison shook Tolbert hard.  
“Alright, alright,” Tolbert said, the smile gone from his face. “I’m sorry.” Ellison Hatfield wasn’t satisfied. He grabbed Tolbert by the neck.  
“That’s not good enough,” He hissed at him. Tolbert struggled to get away from the ex-confederate soldier but to no avail.  
“I’m sorry for what I called ya, I won’t never call you no names again,” Tolbert said, feigning sincereness. Ellison was finally pleased, turned Tolbert 'round and pushed him towards us by the back of his neck. During the ordeal, Devil Anse and his wife, Levicy had walked up. Levicy now came over to talk with the boys.  
She folded her arms and gave each of them a disapproving look. She scolded each and then went to where her husband stood with his brother and nephew.  
“Ridicules,” Tolbert hissed under his breath. The others nodded their agreement. I said nothin’ threw out this whole episode. Though I understood that Cotton Top was a retard, I had always found him friendly ‘nough. I just sat and watched as Ellison Hatfield swung his hammer, sendin’ the anvil flyin’ in the air.  
After that, Tolbert was in a foul mood. He was a-cursin’ and being moody to e’eryone what came by. The others dispersed to git away from his mood. I sat in the wagon, gazing ‘cross the fair grounds at nothing in particular when something caught my eye. It was a wagon on t’other side of the grounds. Johnse Hatfield stood next to it, pedalin’ his ‘shine. On the wagon sat Cap Hatfield and his little brother Robert E. Lee. Cap had a book in one hand and was reading parts from it to Robert E. As I watched, Johnse’s ‘ttention was caught by something and he hit Cap on the leg, said something to him and then ran off. Cap closed his book and jumped down to stand where Johnse had been.  
I smiled to myself. What if I went over there? I grinned. Glancin' at Tolbert to make sure that he weren’t paying attention to me, I grabbed a cup and jumped down from the wagon. I then strolled on ‘or to where Cap stood by his brother’s ‘shine.  
“Cap Hatfield?” I asked. He turned to look at me. A smile broke ‘cross his face and his good eye lit on up.  
“Alice McCoy. What brings you here?” I held out my cup. He looked confused.  
“You not actually gotta drink this? Or,” he grinned. “did you just want a reason to come talk to me?”  
I smiled at my boots. Then flashed him a grin.  
“Maybe I just wanted to talk to ya.” He laughed. Then he got real quiet, like his thinkin’ ‘bout something.  
“Hey, Alice McCoy? You wanna go fer a walk with me?”  
I nod. “Yes, I do, Cap Hatfield.”  
He grin again.  
“Meet me ‘or there,” he nod to part a the treeline. I smile and agree. Then start walkin’ to the part a the forest he motioned to.  
Once I was just beyond the trees, I turned and looked back. Cap was talkin’ with his younger brother, Robert E. It look like Rob sassed Cap, coz Cap grab him and kinda throw him up in the air. Robert E. Lee started a-laughin’. I saw Cap put him down when his ‘ttention was caught by Cotton Top, who was bobbin’ fer apples. I could just see what looked like Paris and a few a my brothers standing just a bit off, laughing at Cotton. Cap stormed over and grabbed Cotton, puttin’ his hat on his head.  
“Easy to laugh in a bunch, ain’t it?” he yell at ‘em. He then steer Cotton Top ‘or to where Robert E. was setting on the ‘shine barrels.  
“Stay here, Cotton. Ya hear me?” Cotton Top nod and Cap smile at him. Then Cap turned and walked off in my direction.

***  
“Sorry that took so long,” Cap said as he walked up to me. It had taken five minutes at the most.  
“It’s fine,” I said. Cap touched my arm and pointed in the dictation he wanted us t' walk. I started off with him at my side.  
“I had to get Robert E. to take over fer me and then them shit-hole McCoys were laughin’ at Cotton,” He suddenly stopped and started at me, realizin' that I was a McCoy. “I mean...” He started, trying to cover fer what he just said.  
“It’s fine,” I laugh. “They are shit-holes sometimes.” He grinned and then continued walkin'.  
We walked for about a'alf hour ‘fore I decided to do want I had wanted to do since that day in the courthouse. I reached ‘or and grabbed Cap Hatfield’s hand. He turned, surprised at first but then he smiled and closed his hand ‘round mine. We walked like this fer a bit longer.  
Eventually, Cap slowed and stopped. I turned to look at him.  
“We’re here,” he said. I looked ‘round, we were in the middle a the woods, I saw nothin’ special ‘bout ‘em. Noticing my confusion, Cap pointed to some brush.  
“It’s through there.” I walked forward and pushed the brush a’side. We were on the top of a cliff over lookin’ the Tug. It was the most beautiful thing I had e’er seen. I stuck my arms out and spun ‘round like a crazy person.  
“Oh, Cap! This is amazing!” He stood next to me.  
“Ain’t it?” He said. “This used to be the number one reason I was glad I ain’t lose slight in both my eyes.” Something about what he said gave me pause.  
“Used to be?” I turned to him. “What is now?” Though from the look in his eye, I felt like I already knew what he was gotta say.  
“You are,” He said, shyly, lookin’ down at his boots. I grinned and laugh. He looked up at this and smiled. He took a step towards me. I realized that he wanted to kiss me at the same time I realized I wanted t' kiss him. I stepped up to him, clearin’ the space ‘tween us. Cap wrapped his arms ‘round my waist and leaned down. Our mouths met.

We sat up there talkin’ fer a time. We talked ‘bout e’erything, from school to our favorite colours (his was green). But what kept coming up was all the trouble ‘tween our families.  
“It don’t make no sense to me,” I said. He nodded in agreement.  
“I think the same,” he said. Cap then got real quiet-like and his eyebrows all bunched together.  
“What ya thinkin’ ‘bout?” I asked.  
“Just that...” He trailed off.   
“What? What is it?” I put my hand on his arm.  
“Just that, Alice McCoy, I want t' marry you.” It completely took me off guard. But, in truth, I couldn’t stop thinkin’ ‘bout what life as Cap Hatfield’s wife would be like. I liked it. “But our daddys' won’t never say yes to it.”   
“I know,” I said.  
“T' which part?” He asked.  
“All of it.” He smiled real big.  
“Well then, Alice McCoy, after all this trouble is finished ‘tween our families, I wanna make you my wife.” I grinned and kissed him again to show my agreement t' this statement.  
It weren’t till the sky started to get dark that I realized we should start to make the walk back. By the time we got back to the fair grounds, it was full on night and I was full on in love with Cap Hatfield.  
“Ain’t those your brothers voices?” Cap asked. I stopped and listened.  
“Roseanna! Alice! Where are ya?” I heard Bud call out.  
“Alice! We are leavin'! Roseanna!” Tolbert’s voice chimed in. I looked over at Cap.  
“Those are my brothers,” I realized that I didn’t want to leave Cap. I never wanted to be away from him. He saw me hesitate.  
“You have to go with ‘em,” He said. Cap leaned down and kissed me again. “I’ll figure some way out to get you a letter, okay?”  
“Okay,” I said. Then I ran out into the clearing.

“There you are, Alice,” Calvin said as I ran up to him.  
“The hell you been?” Tolbert demanded. He was near on purple with rage.  
“I got bored and went fer a walk,” I said as I saw Cap walk into the clearing a ways away, walking to where his horse was still tied. “I just got lost. I ain’t know these woods. This here West Virginia.”  
“You think we don’t know that already?” Tolbert snarled.  
“Where’s Roseanna?” Bud asked. I looked 'round and shrugged. I hadn’t known Roseanna had left.  
“I dunno, she weren’t with me,” I said as calmly as I could.  
“Shit!” Tolbert shouted.  
“Maybe she got a ride home with someone else,” Bud through in. “Maybe Aunt Betty or someones.”  
“Yea, maybe,” Calvin didn’t sound very convinced. But we left anyway.

When we pulled up in the wagon in front of the house, it was past midnight. The lights were still on though. We all four got out and walk up the steps. The door flew open. Pappie was standing there, holding a belt, with Ma hoverin’ at his elbow.  
“Where were you?” Pappie spat in my direction.  
“I went fer a walk and got lost in the woods.” I said, trying fer the life of me to keep my voice steady. Pappie nodded, seeming to take the answer as good. He then turned his attention to the boys.  
“Where’s Roseanna?”  
“We don’t know,” Tolbert said. By now, Calvin and I were just inside the door. I could see a vain in the side of Pappie's neck throbbing.  
“What did you say?” Pappie yelled at Tolbert. He rose the belt he had in hand and started hittin’ Tolbert with it.  
“One thing I said to do was bring your sisters home without fail. You brought one home but not t’other!”  
“We figured she got a ride home, how was we to know?” Tolbert demanded. It only got him hit more.  
“We tried! Called out, she didn’t answer! Only Alice did,” Bud said. Pappie turned the belt on Bud then.  
“I said without fail!” Tolbert and Bud started running off to their horses. “Go find her, and don’t come back till you do!” Pappie yelled.

Later that night, I lay awake in my bed. My mind was running a million miles a’hour. I was thinkin’ ‘bout Cap and how, someday we were gonna be married. I could feel the blush crawl up my cheeks.  
I looked over at Roseanna’s empty bed. I was alone in my room coz Alifair had moved into a room downstairs with the lil' girls. I threw back my covers and got out a bed. I went to the desk and got out a pen and paper. By the light of the moon, I started to write Cap a letter.  
When I was satisfied, I blow on the ink to dry it then folded the letter and put in to an envelope. Then I went back to bed, this time, thinking ‘bout where Roseanna might be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Applejack is moonshine made from apple mash. White lightning is 'shine made from corn mash.


	9. Letters

Fall, 1880:

I woke early the next mornin’ to the sound a doors slamming and people yelling.  
“How in the hell are we suppose’t to find ‘er?” Tolbert was clearly still upset ‘bout last night. The boys, it appeared, hadn’t found Roseanna after all. I got up and dressed right quick. Tolbert, Bud and Calvin were standing with guns. Jim and Pharmer were outside, saddling up their horse.  
“Was going on?" I asted.  
“Roseanna done dropped off the face a th’earth,” Calvin said, shifting his gun from one shoulder to t’other. Tolbert snarled and spit off the porch. Ma and Alifair were at the stove, making spiced milk fer the boys. The little ones were setting ‘round the table, looking mighty scared. Little Franny looked like she had been a-cryin’.  
The boys all left to go find Roseanna. Bill wanted to go with but Pappie said no, fourteen was too young. It turned out that Nancy McCoy, my cousin, had been by real early to tell Pappie that she had seen Roseanna leave the Election Day with one Johnse Hatfield. Hearing this made me tense up. What if someones had seen me n’ Cap Hatfield leave together? What would they think?  
Franny was only seven at the time. Roseanna had been her favorite sister. Alifair is always mean to her, yelling at her all the time. I could relate, Alifair never liked me none. So when I saw that Franny was crying and Ma was too busy, Alifair just straight up didn’t care and the other lil ones were too confused to help, I sat down next to her.  
“Hey, why don’t we go on out to the porch?” I asted her. “I’ll braid yer hair.” She smiled up at me and agreed.  
So Franny and I sat on the porch. I took a little purple flower from the yard and twisted it into her braid, just like I do when I pull my hair back. And that’s where we were when Roseanna returned. It hadn’t been a’our when Bud rode up on his horse, with Roseanna setting behind him.  
“Hey Pappie, we found her! We found her! I got Roseanna!” Bud yelled as he vaulted from the saddle. I stood, looking ‘tween Roseanna and Pappie. He had come out a the house at Bud’s call and now stood with Ma. Some of the younger children were standing ‘round Ma’s skirts.  
Pappie just stood a-lookin’ at her, his eyes all disapproving like. She stood waiting for him to make the first move.  
“You spent the night under a Hatfield roof.” It wasn’t truly a question, he was just stating fact. Roseanna nodded.  
“With Johnse’s sisters, sir. Mr. Hatfield kindly gave permission.” A smile crept ‘cross her face. “Johnse. He wants to marry me, Pappie.”  
I could feel heat spreading ‘cross my face. I glanced at Pappie. If he said yes to Roseanna and Johnse, maybe he’d say yes to me and Cap. But this was a flitting hope, fer his face dropped and he started at her like his ears were playing him fer a fool.  
“Beg your damn pardon?” Tears welled in Roseanna’s eyes.  
“He loves me Pappie, He wants to ask you proper, ya know. He wants to make sure its right.”  
Pappie looked back at Ma but Ma couldn’t tear her eyes from Roseanna.  
“He touch you, Roseanna?” Pappie ast, looking back to Roseanna.  
“No, sir,” she said, a little too quick if you ast me. I know Pappie was astin’ so he knew if he had to go shoot Johnse Hatfield.  
After a pause, Pappie inclined his head in the direction a the river.  
“You go on, do whate'er you want. Ya like the Hatfields so much, why don’t you go live with ‘em, forever.” Roseanna’s tears poured down her face and she shuck her head.  
“You’re not my daughter anymore.”  
With that, Pappie turned and walked back in the house. Ma stood, a-staring at Roseanna fer a moment ‘fore heading in after him.  
“Bud, take her to the river and leave her there,” Ma said from inside. “Alice can go too. And fetch back your brothers. I don’t want any of ‘em doing something stupid.”  
I stepped down from the porch and got my horse. Roseanna pulled herself up on to Bud’s horse and the three of us, with Bud leading his horse, went off to the river.  
On the way, I felt the letter I had written Cap in my skirt pocket. I closed my fingers ‘round it. I nudged my horse closer to Roseanna’s and leaned ‘or so I could talk to her without Bud overhearin'.  
“Roseanna, could you do something fer me?” I ast her. She looked up and seemed to see me fer the first time that morning.  
“Um, sure thing, Alice. What is it?” I pulled out the letter to Cap and handed to her.  
“Can you make sure to put this in Cap Hatfield’s hands. No one else, only him.” She looked confused but nodded anyways. She put the letter into her skirt pocket.  
Fer the rest of the way to the river, all was quiet. When we got to the river, lookin’ ‘cross, I could see Johnse Hatfield laying on the bank, pressing a wet cloth to a bloody hole in his hip. It seemed that my brothers had gotten to him after all. When he saw us, he waved but let his hand drop when he noticed Roseanna cryin'. At the bridge, Roseanna got off Bud’s horse, hugged him and me and then walked ‘cross. Bud and I turned back home.

It was two weeks later that I got Roseanna’s first letter. Pappie and Calvin had been in town when someone who lived by the Hatfield’s had given them two letters. Both from Roseanna, one fer Ma and one fer me. Pappie had wanted to open them both but Calvin stopped him. When they got home, Calvin placed Roseanna’s letter in my hand hisself.  
I opened it alone in my room. I slept alone now coz Roseanna had left and she was the only one I had shared a room with. The first thing I noticed was that there were two letters inside. One with Roseanna’s swirly handwriting and one with handwriting I didn’t recognized. I took Roseanna’s first.

Dear Alice  
I hope this finds you well. I gave Cap Hatfield your latter like you asked. He was very grateful for it. Mr. Hatfield and Mrs. Hatfield have been very kind to me. They won't let Johnse and me marry though. They are letting me stay which is more then I can imagine Pappie doing. Johnse is so sweet. I wish I could introduce you two. I guess that will have to wait till later. Cap doesn't talk to me much but when he does he is always very polite. The other letter included is his. I hope that this comes to you unopened or you may be joining me here. Cap told me by the way. He told me about your day together at the Election Day. And about how you plan on getting married. I can only say that I think y'all should wait till Pappie has calmed down to mention it. And you and I both know that may take years. I will continue to deliver letters for you two if you would like. I miss you and everyone so much. The Hatfields are nice but they ain't family. Tell Franny I say hello. And the boys too. Not Alifair though, she never liked me anyway. I hope you are alright and I hope that one day we can all marry who we wish.  
Your loving sister,  
Roseanna

I near cried when I read her letter. Roseanna was okay, not married but okay. And Cap had written me! I turned my attention to t’other letter now. His letter.

Dearest Alice,  
I couldn’t believe it when I read your letter. You had actually figured out a way to get letters cross the Tug! I hope this gets to you okay and unopened. That could spell trouble for us both. I’m sorry if this ain’t perfect, I am only learning how to read and write now. Johnse thinks it’s stupid but if it’ll keep me in touch with you, I’d do anything.  
I was thinking about what you said about needing some place to meet, and I think I know just the place. It’s this old hunting cabin that no one really uses any more. It would be perfect, I think. I’ll give you a map to it soon, if you like the sound of it. It’s on your side of the river, so I’ll have to cross the Tug. It’s by this lake and is surrounded by trees. It’s right pretty there. I hope this reaches you fine.  
I love you,  
Cap Hatfield

I stared at Cap’s letter fer a long time. I couldn’t believe that I was holding something that he had written. I smiled and kissed it. Then put both letters in my trunk and set to work writing replies to both.


End file.
